Butterfly Pea Flower: What It Is and How to Use It
Butterfly pea flower (Clitoria ternatea) is a vivid blue blossom from Southeast Asia that brews into a stunning cobalt-blue tea — and magically turns purple when you add lemon juice. You can find it at William's Natural Foods, 12249 San Pablo Ave, Richmond, CA 94805, in our bulk herb section.
Available in Bulk
We carry butterfly pea flower in our bulk herb section, so you can grab the exact amount you want — from a spoonful to try the color-changing tea to a full bag for parties and ongoing use. Our staff can help you find it and share ideas for using it.
What We Carry
We stock whole dried butterfly pea flowers, sold by weight. We also carry other colorful botanicals in bulk — like hibiscus petals, which shift the blue toward vivid purple-pink — so you can experiment with natural drink colors.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why does butterfly pea tea change color?
The blue color comes from anthocyanins, natural pigments that are sensitive to pH. Adding something acidic like lemon or lime juice shifts the color from blue to violet to pink-purple right before your eyes. It is pure chemistry, not food dye — which is exactly why it has become so popular for natural drink coloring.
What does butterfly pea flower taste like?
Very mild — slightly earthy and vegetal, similar to a light green tea but even subtler. The flavor is not the point; the color is. Most people blend it with lemongrass, mint, or ginger for flavor, or use it as a base for lemonades and cocktails where the color-changing effect steals the show.
How do you make butterfly pea tea?
Steep a teaspoon of dried flowers in hot water for 3–5 minutes until the liquid turns deep blue, then strain. Serve it hot, or pour it over ice. For the color-change trick, serve the blue tea with a wedge of lemon on the side and let guests squeeze it in themselves — it never fails to impress.
What else can you do with butterfly pea flowers?
Beyond tea, the flowers are used as a natural food coloring for rice (a traditional Southeast Asian dish called nasi kerabu gets its blue hue this way), desserts, frostings, and ice cubes. Mix the blue tea with hibiscus for purple, or layer it over lemonade for a two-tone drink.
Did you know? In Thailand and Vietnam, butterfly pea flowers have colored food and drink for centuries — blue sticky rice and the traditional welcome drink nam dok anchan both get their hue from these blossoms, long before they became a global café trend (source: Smithsonian Magazine coverage of Southeast Asian food traditions).
Visit William's Natural Foods at 12249 San Pablo Ave, Richmond, CA — open Monday through Friday 9 AM to 7 PM, Saturday 9 AM to 6 PM, and Sunday 10 AM to 5 PM. Our staff are happy to help you find butterfly pea flowers in the bulk herb section.
This guide is for general information only and is not medical advice. Talk to your doctor or a qualified health professional about any health questions.